Apparatus for treating shoe parts or the like



Sept. 5, 1933.

c. J. SMITH 1,925,210

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHOE PARTS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 29 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HWENTUR j Sept. 5, 1933. Q s rr 1,925,210

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHOE Pms OR THE LIKE Filed 001',- 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHOE PARTS OR. THE LIKE Charles James Smith, Leicester, England, as-

signor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 29, 1929, Serial No. 403,296, and in Great Britain December 4, 192B 13 Claims.

material readily injured by operations upon it.

In the manufacture of certain kinds of shoes, it is customary to assemble the upper by uniting several separate parts, such as toe-caps, vamps and quarters. It is also usual, in some cases at 0 least, to perform various operations on the parts before or after they are assembled. For example, the toe-cap may have a pattern punched in it along its rear edge, this pattern comprising a considerable number of small perforations arranged according to a predetermined design; or one or more of the edges of a toe-cap or other part may be folded over to impart to it a finish. It is found that, with certain kinds of leather, usually those having a hard or enameled surface, such operations as folding and perforating cause cracking of the surface adjacent to the areas operated on. Also, it is found that, when two parts of such leather are sewed together in the formation of an upper, the action of the needle in piercing the hard surface causes cracking. Such cracks may not be obvious at the time of sewing, but they afterwards are liable to become quite evident when the assembled shoe is lasted, owing to the strains imposed upon them. Such defects in the surface become especially apparent in patent-leather, and a thus-cracked surface will be imperfect, not having the character sought in a shoe of fine quality. Anobject of the present invention is to prevent, or at least lessen to a considerable extent, the possibility of such mutilation of the surface of shoe-parts and the like.

A feature of the present invention is concerned with the provision of novel apparatus for rendering the shoe-parts relatively soft and pliable, so they may be operated upon more effectively. This apparatus may comprise a chamber having means for supplying to its lower portion heated vapor, as from a water-bath, and means, for example a cold-water tank, for maintaining one side of the chamber at a lower temperature than the other, while. above the source of vapor is work-supporting means. By such an arrangement,-the work-pieces are effectively subjected to the action of the vapor, the circulation of which is actively maintained. Regardless of the manner in which this circulation is created, the chamber is preferably divided into work-containing compartments, with which is associated means for directing the vapor from the source through said-compartments. There also may be employed means, as an adjustable damper, for regulating the flow of vapor through each compartment, or for cutting it off altogether.

There will now be described an illustrative apparatus embodying the invention. It is preferable that the parts of the shoe-uppers, whether they be toe-caps, quarters or Vamps, which are to be folded, perforated, united to other pieces or similarly operated upon, be arranged in superposed piles overlying and coinciding with each other. It is, in fact, customary in shoe-factories to assemble said parts in bundles of, say, two dozen before they leave the cutting room, in order to facilitate subsequent pairing and matching of the parts. Such bundles are usually secured with string and are fairly compact. Such bundles are subjected, in a position close to the machine which is subsequently to operate upon them, to a warm, moist atmosphere circulated about the work, this circulation being accelerated by chilling a portion of the bath. A temperature of approximately 100 F. and a humidity of approximately 100% of saturation are effective for the purpose required. If desired, however, an atmosphere may be used of the temperature above stated but carrying condensed water-vapor above that needed for complete saturation, say 4% or 5%. The bundles of parts are allowed to remain in the moist and warm atmosphere for a period of approximately half an hour. At the end of this time, the material at the edges of the bundles will have been penetrated by the moisture to a depth of between a quarter and a half an inch, this being sufficient for the purpose in view. The moisture finds its way into the small gaps between the overlying parts and, by absorption and capillary action, into the body of the material. At the end of half an hour or so, the bundles of parts are removed from the warm, moist atmosphere. When thus tempered, the parts are separated for direct, prompt transfer to a machine which is to operate upon them, before they have an opportunity to return to their normal condition and have thus lost their pliability. It is found that the action of the heat and moisture to which the parts have been subjected softens the margin of each and renders it pliable. It is also found that, when the area which has been treated in the manner just described is operated on by a punching, folding or sewing machine, the surface of such a part will not be cracked or mutilated.

In the previously mentioned drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with the door removed; and Y Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said apparatus.

There is shown a low rectangular frame 1, having an open top and forming a stand for a softening chamber 3, which rests on horizontal angle-irons 5 fixed to the frame. The stand carrying the; chamber is adapted to be supported upon a bench or table close to the perforating, sewing or other machine which is to ,operate upon the parts after they have been treated in the apparatus. A water-bath '7 is carried at the bottom of the chamber, and may be lowered with the latter through the open top of the frame into position upon the strips 5.

The construction of the water-bath may be as follows: At the sides 8, where it rests upon the angle-strips 5, the bottom of the bath-is parallel to the top; but about half-way between the sides and the middle of the bath, the bottom slopes down, as shown at 9, and forms a flat-bottomed channel 11, which runs longitudinally of the bath, as shown in Fig. 2. An electric unit 13, situated in the channel 11 and controlled by a switch 14, serves to heat water contained in the bath. Near the rear of the bath is provided a verical partition 15, made of some heat-insulating material, which extends across the bath and forms a trough 17. This trough receives within it the lower end of a vertical cold-water tank 19, which is separably mounted within the chamber 3 against the back wall thereof, so, in effect, it furnishes a wall of said chamber. This tank is provided at its top with a neck 21.having a removable cap, and through which the tank can be filled. The thickness of the tank from front to back is roughly half that of the trough 17, so there is a space between the partition 15 and the front of the tank. Holes 23 in the partition, situated above the normal water-level of the bath, provide communication between the trough and the bath. A supply-pipe 25 leads from near the bottom of the tank 19 to the front of the apparatus, and terminates in a nozzle situated above a feedcup 27 communicating with the bath. A cock 28 is provided to control the flow of water through the pipe. The chamber 3 is closed at its top and. at three of its sides, the bottom being open to the water-bath 7. The front of the chamber is open, but has a door (not shown) pivoted on hinges 29 (Fig. 1) to a flange projecting from a side wall of the chamber. Arranged across the chamber, reaching from side to side, are a series of downwardly sloping plates 31, which extend from near the front wall, or, in case of the lowest, from said wall, rearwardly to such positions that a relatively wide gap is left between them and the front wall of the tank 19. These plates are secured to the side walls of the chamber by vertical flanges 33 having inward extensions from their upper edges to furnish supports 35 for work-containing baskets or trays 37, as shown in Fig. 2. These baskets are perforated, being conveniently formed of wire-mesh. Projections 38, at the rear of the flanges 33, limit the extent to which the baskets may be carried rearwardly upon their supports. The plates 31 are substantially parallel to each other and are spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 2, sufllciently to allow a basket to be housed in the space between successive plates. The rear edge of each plate is downturned at 32, so, if water be deposited on a plate, it may trickle down and drip from this flange 32. A false roof 39, preferably parallel to the plates, is spaced above the top plate, and, along its rear edge, abuts against a downwardly and rearwardly inclined partition 41 spaced from the chamber-wall and forming a false back. The partition 41 is shown as made up of two parallel plates 43 and 45 separated to provide an air-gap between them, so one side of the partition may remain cooler than the other. A baffle 47 extends rearwardly and upwardly from the front wall of the chamber until it contacts with the lowest plate 31, as seen in Fig. 2. Dampers or butterfly-valves 49, positioned near the rear ends of the plates 31, are mounted to rotate on horizontal spindles 51, and are so arranged that each damper may be turned to occupy a more or less vertical position. In this vertical relation, it makes contact along its upper and lower margins with the plates 31 immediately above and below it, and therefore closes the end of the compartment formed between these plates. In the case of the uppermost damper, when occupying its substantially vertical position, it contacts at its upper edge with thefalse roof 39, instead of with one of the plates 31. Each of the dampers isadapted to be rotated independently by means of a hand-wheel 53 secured to its spindle, so the articles in any one or more of the trays can be at any time out out of the path of circulation of the vapor rising from the bath '7, or the amount of the transmitted vapor varied.

In the normal operation of the apparatus, the water in the bath 7 is heated by the unit 13 to give vapor at a temperature of approximately 1 100 F. This vapor is guided by the bailie 47 toward the rear of the apparatus into the space between the edges of the plates 31 and the partition 41. The vapor rises into the space, and is directed, by those of the dampers 49 which are 1 open, into compartments between upper and lower plates 31, through the perforated baskets, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. After traversing the compartments, the vapor passes up the front wall of the chamber and rearwardly 1 above the false roof. Said vapor thereafter impinges upon or approaches close to the coldwater tank 19, which cools-the vapor and therefore causes it to sink between said tank and the double partition 41 more rapidly than it other- 1 wise would, thus tending to accelerate the circulation of the warm, moist atmosphere in the chamber. Any condensate deposited on the tank trickles down into the trough 1'7 and can find its way back into the water-bath '7 from the trough 1 when the level of the condensate in the trough reaches the holes 23 in the partition. Pipes 55 extend from outside the apparatus into the lower end of the space below the partition 41 and the rear ends of the plates 31, and allow ingress of a 1 certain amount of fresh air to the apparatus. A drip-trough 57 is provided at the front of the apparatus to catch any condensate which may trickle down the inside of the door. Instead of providing a single door to close the entrance to all the trays, a separate door may, if desired, be provided for each tray. With the arrangement first mentioned,'-the outer walls of the baskets 37 may be imperforate, to prevent chilling of the 14 means, and work-supporting means located above the vapor-supplying means.

2. Apparatus for treating shoe-parts comprising a chamber, means for supplying heated vapor to the lower part of said chamber, work-supporting means located above the vapor-supplying means, means variable in its angular position for directing the vapor toward the work-supporting means, cooling means co-operating with the work-supporting means, and means for directing the vapor after it has passed the work-supporting means into contact with the cooling means.

3. Apparatus for treating shoe-parts comprising a chamber, means in the lower part of said chamber for supplying heated vapor, means at one side of said chamber for absorbing heat and maintaining it at a lower temperature than the other sides, a series of work-containers arranged along the temperature-reducing means, and a damper cooperating with each container.

4. Apparatus for treating shoe-parts comprising a chamber, means in the lower part of said chamber. for supplying heated vapor, means for maintaining one side of said chamber at a lower temperature than the others, .a series of workcontainers arranged along the temperature-reducing means, and means for controlling the flow of vapor to each work-container.

5. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber having work-containing compartments and a space at one side of said compartments, a source of vapor at the lower portion of the chamber delivering to the space, and means for directing the vapor selectively through any of the compartments.

6. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber having work-containing compartments, a source of vapor delivering to the chamber, means for directing the vapor from the source through the compartments, and means for regulating the flow of vapor through each compartment.

'7. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber having work-containing compartments, 2. source of vapor at the lower portion of the chamber, means for directing the vapor from the source through the compartments, and means associated with each compartment for regulata chamber formed between substantially vertical side walls, a water-bath at the bottom of the chamber, means for heating the bath, a vertical series of plates extending across the chamber but terminating at opposite edges short of the chamber-walls, and work-container-support situated above the respective plates.

9. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber, a water-bath at the bottom of the chamber, means for heating the bath, a vertical series of plates extending across the chamber, work-container-supports situated above the respective plates, and dampers movable in the spacesbetween the adjacent plates.

10. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber, a water-bath at the bottom of the chamber, means for heating the bath, a vertical series of plates extending across the chamber, work-container-supports situated above the respective plates, and a cold-water tank situated opposite the ends of the compartments.

11. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber, a water-bath at the bottom of the chamber, means for heating the bath, a vertical series of plates extending across the chamber, work-container-supports situated above the respective plates, a cold-water tank situated opposite the ends of the compartments, and a partition between the compartments and tank.

12. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber, a water-bath at the bottom of the chamber, means for heating the bath, means for supporting the shoe-parts in the chamber, and a cold-water tank furnishing one wall of the chamber, the tank being arranged to deliver its condensate to the bath.

13. In an apparatus for tempering shoe-parts, a chamber, a water-bath at the bottom of the chamber, means for heating the. bath, means for supporting the shoe-parts in the chamber, a coldwater tank furnishing one wall of the chamber, and connections between the interior of the tank and the water-bath.

CHARLES JAMES SMITH. 

